In Episode #45, co-hosts Beata and Bita talk about a single ingredient in Persian cuisine, eggplant. Eggplant is translated as “bademjoon” in Farsi. It is also sometimes referred to as “bademjan”.
Persian dishes with eggplant
- Smoky eggplant dips or spreads such as Kashk Bademjoon/bademjan (kashk is a yogurt derivative or whey with a salty umami flavor), Mirza Ghassemi, and Meleh Ghormeh (a regional specialty discussed in episode #31 with special guest Omid, The Caspian Chef)
- Khoresh (Persian stew) Khoresh Bademjoon/Bademjan (has beef or lamb traditionally and the tart unripe grapes called “ghoreh” in Farsi) and Ghemeh Bademjoon/Bademjan (with small cuts of meat); both served over rice
- Koo koo bademjoon/bademjan
Strategies for cooking eggplant for Persian dishes
- Oven baking or broiling - in pieces or whole (whole baking works well with smaller varieties of eggplant such as the Japanese eggplant)
- Sliced and sauteed
- Importance of cooking all the way through - eggplant texture should be very wrinkly and the eggplant should fall or drop which shows its been cooked through
Ask the Beats!
Alexandra from Menlo Park asks the Beats, “How did the two of you meet?”
The Beats love this question as they are very grateful to have made a connection and found partnership originally through Instagram. The Beats share the same name spelled differently (Beata vs Bita). They quickly discovered many shared passion, they were both foodies, interested in preserving Persian culture through food and realistic, modern strategies for incorporating it into everyday busy lifestyles - the Beats started the podcast at the start of the pandemic.
The Beats grew up in different backgrounds and with different exposures and experiences with Persian food and are currently at different life stages with children at very different ages and stages. This difference brings insight and unique perspectives to the topics of preparing Persian food.
Resources and recipes from this episode:
Bita’s recipe for: Kashk Bademjan | Persian Eggplant Dip
Beata’s recipe for: Persian Vegetarian Eggplant Stew | Khoreshteh Bademjan
Bita’s video Roasting Whole Eggplant
Modern Persian Food podcast Episode 31: Cultural Spotlight: Caspian Sea Regional Foods with Special Guest The Caspian Chef
All Modern Persian Food episodes can be found at: https://modernpersianfood.com/episodes/
Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: https://beatseats.com
Co-host Bita Arabian blog: https://ovenhug.com
Podcast production by Alvarez Audio